Dire Wolves Blind Spot

by Cynthia Sax

  “Maggy.” He collapsed, bracing himself up by his hands so his weight didn’t flatten her. “Mate.” He licked the red mark, vivid against her pale, freckled skin. She was his, if only for the moment.

  * * *

  “Your coffee.” Maggy handed Pavel the cup as he drove. When he cleared his throat like that, she’d noticed over the past three days of travel, it meant he was thirsty.

  He drank down the last dregs and handed the empty cup back to her. “Spasibo.”

  That meant “thank you.” Maggy had learned some of the Russian phrases he frequently used. Phrases her mate used, she mentally corrected. She had a mate.

  For now.

  “We don’t need a pack.” She touched her neck carefully. He’d marked her again last night. For the first time in her life, she belonged but if the pack didn’t accept her, that could change. “We’re fine on our own. We could drive on, find a small town where no one would bother us, and --”

  “You need a pack,” Pavel broke into her daydreaming. He pulled the truck off the road onto a barely visible path. The vehicle bounced over the ruts. “We’ve talked about this.”

  They had. He insisted she needed more than his protection. He braked to a stop in the middle of nowhere. “You beat four wolves.” Pavel had been magnificent, her large silver wolf.

  “Three wolves. You defended your own self against the one.” Maggy heard the pride in his voice. Would that pride dissipate if she failed to prove herself to the pack? He opened her door. “What if there had been five wolves?” Big hands wrapped around her waist. He lifted her easily to the ground.

  “What if they don’t want us?” By us, she meant her. A pack would be foolish not to want Pavel. He was the biggest, baddest wolf she’d ever met.

  “They’ll want you.” He never talked about his acceptance into the pack. It made her fear that he wouldn’t stay with her. “You will have to fight to prove your worth.” Pavel took her hand, swinging their bag over his shoulder. It was their bag, she reminded herself. They were one. He was her mate. He wouldn’t leave her. Mates stayed together.

  “You will be by my side?” she asked. She needed the confirmation.

  “I will be right behind you, but you have to do this alone. Each wolf must stand on their own four feet.” They approached a man standing by a beached boat. His hair was gray and his face was lined with wrinkles. Maggy sniffed the fresh sea breeze. He was wolf.

  “Is your boat for hire?” Pavel placed himself protectively in front of her. “We need a ride to Dire Island.”

  “I know, wolf. That’s why I’m here.” There was laughter in the ferryman’s voice. It was a strange place for him to wait. Maggy peeked around Pavel’s body. Nothing else was around them. There were no buildings, no people. “You have nothing to fear, miss. Not from me anyway.” The old man grinned. “There will be two of you?”

  Pavel’s hesitation was seconds long but it felt, to Maggy, like hours. “Da. Two.” He took out his wallet.

  “Put that away, my friend.” The ferryman waved his arms. “You will earn your passage, one way or another.” He shoved the small boat into the water until only the bow was on dry land. “Miss.” He held out a grizzled hand.

  “Nyet,” Pavel growled. “I’ll help her.”

  “Ahhh… I thought I smelled love.” The old wolf stepped aside, allowing Pavel to lift her into the boat. It rocked and Maggy sat down quickly, her legs unsteady. “You go next, young pup.” Maggy grinned at the irritation in Pavel’s steel gray eye. He didn’t say anything, climbing in after her. The boat dipped downward. She moved to his left side. “This here” -- the ferryman tapped the side of the boat -- “is my mate.” He pushed the boat fully into the water. “I’m as protective of her as you are of yours.” He hopped in.

  “This pack, they are strong?” Pavel’s question surprised Maggy. He knew they were strong, their bonding as a pack making up for each individual wolf’s deficiencies. He had told her that many times.

  “Strong enough.” The ferryman chuckled as he rowed. “You won’t get their weaknesses from me, pup. They have my full loyalty.”

  Pavel grunted. It was a sound he made when impressed. If the pack was strong, they’d only want strong members. She wasn’t strong. They sat in silence, Maggy’s fears compounding until they filled her mind, crowding out rational thought.

  Pavel leaned toward her and Maggy stiffened. He would tell her this was a mistake, that she couldn’t possibly pass this test. He’d ask the man to turn the boat around and, when they got to the shore, he would leave her there, alone, a wolf not worthy of a mate.

  “You’ll be fine.” He kissed her forehead. “They will protect you.” An island appeared out of the mist. She was certain it hadn’t been there before.

  “They and you.” She gripped his thigh. “You will protect me too.”

  He didn’t answer in words, staring straight ahead, his mouth pressed into a grim line. Maggy felt his response in her heart. He hadn’t planned to be part of this pack. “Pavel…” Without Pavel, the pack held no appeal.

  “Worry about the future later. Concentrate on the fight ahead, Maggy,” he rumbled. “Don’t let anything or anyone distract you.”

  She had to focus. The boat bumped up onto the shore, throwing Maggy back against his shoulder. It would shame him if she lost. Pavel jumped out of the boat. First, she would fight the pack wolf, making him proud, and then she would fight to keep him. He took her hand as she disembarked. His palm was rough and callused against her skin.

  “Will you wait?” Pavel asked the ferryman.

  “I will, but you won’t be back,” the man replied. “Welcome to Dire Island, your new home.” He sounded so sure, Maggy wanted to believe his words. “You should, miss.” He addressed her doubts without her voicing them.

  Pavel grunted again, turning his face into the wind. She did also. She smelled them. Wolf. There were many wolves, coming toward them from every direction but the sea. It was a welcoming scent, bringing with it visions of pack, of family. A yearning swept through Maggy’s body.

  “Concentrate,” Pavel reminded her. “Remember what you have to do.”

  A woman strode from the forest. She was tall, dark-skinned, and gloriously naked. There wasn’t an inch of fat on her muscular body. This was a wolf. This was a worthy mate. Maggy looked to Pavel. His eye tracked the wolf yet his face showed no emotion. She smelled no arousal on him, only the salty tang of aggression he wore during battle. Relief coursed through her body.

  “Why are you here?” the wolf’s voice rang out, her southern drawl softening the blunt question.

  Others watched this exchange from the safety of the forest. Maggy smelled their presence. “We wish to join your pack.” She stepped forward, as Pavel had advised her to. “Bring us to your alpha.”

  The wolf looked her up and down. A finely plucked eyebrow rose. “Our alpha has no time for weak wolves.” She turned, dismissing them. “Go back to the mainland.” She strode away, her bare ass toned.

  Maggy didn’t know what to do. Had they come all this way for nothing? Pavel bumped her forward, motioning with his hands. “Stop,” she barked. The woman obeyed. “We are not weak wolves.”

  The wolf faced her again, her dark eyes flashing. “I said go back to the mainland, little wolf.” The woman shifted. All Dire Wolves had a weakness, Pavel had told her. Maggy saw none in this powerful brown wolf. She looked back over her shoulder at Pavel for guidance.

  “You can do this, Maggy,” he rumbled. “Make me proud.”

  She would make him proud. Maggy shifted. Her head didn’t reach the brown wolf’s shoulder. The female was larger than the male she’d previously fought, but Maggy knew more tactics now. She would win this fight and win Pavel’s love. She prepared for the brown wolf’s attack.

  Teeth bared, the brown wolf leaped at Maggy. Pavel’s fists clenched. His mate was in danger. He fought the reactive shift. If he let the beast free, he would protect her, and she had to do this alone. Maggy rolled
the way he’d taught her to, taking the brown wolf with her. Could she win this fight? Or had he made a mistake bringing her here? The brown wolf’s paw grazed Maggy’s shoulder and he winced. She’d be ripped to shreds.

  No blood scented the air despite the direct hit. All four brown paws pummeled red fur. Not a scratch appeared. The brown wolf had been declawed. One knot in Pavel’s back relaxed. Maggy had thankfully not suffered that torture. Maggy bit and clawed. The brown wolf bit her back, flinging her to the side. His mate got to her feet, shaking herself, and attacked.

  His little red wolf had a temper. Nyet, she wasn’t his little red wolf any longer. He was to leave her here. She didn’t need him. She’d proven herself capable, defending herself. She’d be accepted into the pack.

  The brown wolf tossed Maggy off again. The female crouched down on her haunches, barking. A large white wolf stalked toward Maggy, and Pavel bristled. This was a male but not the alpha. Maggy backed up. Pavel prowled forward, shifting. No male would touch Maggy but him.

  Pavel jumped, landing between them, his hackles up. Mine, he growled. The white wolf growled back. They circled, looking for weakness. The white wolf knew his. He would be attacked on the left. He saw none in the white wolf. The wolf’s claws were intact. His canines were bared in a snarl.

  Pavel felt a bump on his left side. It was Maggy. She shouldn’t be there. He bumped back. She didn’t move. There was no more time to discourage her. The white wolf attacked. Maggy whimpered as the wolf made impact. Pavel smelled blood, hers and his. The wolf dared to injure his mate. Rage pulsed through his veins, bursting free in a torrent of violence. He sliced the wolf with his claws, the red vivid against the white fur. He bit, crunching down on the wolf’s front paw. His hold secure, he picked the wolf up and shook him. Maggy, his fierce mate, clawed at the wolf’s exposed stomach.

  “Enough.” The word penetrated Pavel’s anger-ravaged brain. He tossed the white wolf across the pebble beach and searched for the owner of the voice. A man stood in front of a group of men and women. He smelled of power. This was the alpha.

  Pavel shifted out of respect, facing him man to man. Slender fingers wrapped around his scarred hand. Maggy had shifted also. His top lip curled in a snarl when eyes flicked her way. She was naked, as he was. No one should look at her like that. She was his.

  “Relax, wolf.” The alpha’s mouth twisted up in a smile. “After what you did to Piele” -- the white wolf was curled up in a ball, licking his wounds -- “no one will challenge you for her.” He held out his hand. “I am Jeremy Lyons.”

  Pavel clasped it with his good hand. The grip was solid. The alpha was strong, a worthy wolf to follow. “Pavel Ivanov. This is Maggy O’Leary.”

  “Pavel, Maggy.” Lyons took two robes from a blonde-haired woman. “These are to welcome you to our pack.”

  “Maggy will take a robe.” He watched Maggy’s face as she stroked the cloth, a look of wanting on her face. She had what she dearly desired, a pack. She no longer needed him. Pavel didn’t reveal the pain he felt. “I brought clothes.” He would leave.

  “I see.” No emotion crossed the alpha’s face. The talking behind him stopped.

  “Pavel?” Maggy touched his arm.

  “I can’t stay, Maggy.” He cupped her chin, raising her beautiful face. “There is no role for me here.” He examined every freckle, committing her features to memory. “You’ll be fine.”

  “I will be.” His heart dropped as she stepped away from him. He didn’t think she’d accept their separation so easily. “Thank you but I’ll wear my own clothes also.” She handed the robe back to the alpha.

  “Nyet, Maggy.” This was what she wanted. She’d have a pack to belong to. Why would she turn their offer down?

  “We are a team, Pavel.” Her freckled chin jutted out stubbornly. “You aren’t leaving me with strangers.”

  Her reluctance wasn’t due to leaving him. “This is a good pack.” She was scared of the strange wolves. Remembering the scars on her leg, she had right to be. “They will treat you well, I promise.”

  “I know they will.” Her green eyes flashed. “But I don’t want to be treated well. I want to be loved. You are my mate.” She took his hand and held on tightly. “Where you go, I go.”

  “You’ll find someone else.” As he spoke the words, he knew it wouldn’t be true for him. He’d never find another wolf like Maggy. She would always be a part of him.

  “I won’t.” She brushed her naked body against him. Aware of their audience, he dampened his physical reaction. “I’ve met enough wolves to know this.”

  “Whatever your decision is, you are our guests,” Lyons, the alpha, interjected. “Stay the night. You can leave in the morning.”

  If he left immediately, Maggy would go with him. She’d be his forever. If they stayed the night, she’d become more comfortable with the other wolves. She’d decide to stay. He’d be alone, but she’d be safe, protected by the pack. “Thank you. We will.”

  Chapter Four

  “How the hell did you match me, red?” Kendra slid into the seat beside Maggy, her brown eyes warm with amusement. She was clothed, barely, in a body hugging tank top and short shorts, exposing expanses of smooth ebony skin. “It was embarrassing.”

  “I had a good teacher.” Maggy patted Pavel’s leg. “I’m sorry about…” She waved at the puckered welts on Kendra’s bare shoulder. They weren’t deep fortunately. They shouldn’t scar.

  “Bah, no big deal. I envy you the weapon.” The woman looked down at her hands. She had no fingernails. “It is hard to fight without claws.”

  “Don’t roll.” Pavel’s deep voice broke into the conversation. He was normally quiet but this evening, he hadn’t spoken more than ten words.

  “What did you say, wolf?” Kendra jumped to her feet. The wolves around them stopped talking. Lyons, the alpha, straightened in his chair. Maggy cringed. They’d done something wrong.

  “Don’t roll,” Pavel repeated, not turning his head away from his drink. “You’ll lose if you do.”

  The woman crossed her arms defensively. Every inch of her was toned. “I was taught to roll.”

  “Your teacher had claws.” Pavel sipped his beer. Maggy wasn’t fooled by his nonchalance. Pavel was always aware of his surroundings. He knew they had an audience. “Strike fast and then retreat. You have the speed. You have the strength. Use it to your advantage.”

  “Strike and retreat?” the female wolf scoffed. “That is the coward’s way.”

  “You’ll win with that coward’s way but” -- Pavel shrugged -- “suit yourself. I understand. Pride was important to me once also.” He touched his eye patch. “After three pack members died due to that pride, I no longer put value on the emotion.”

  “Three.” Kendra’s eyes widened. “Strike and retreat.” She looked up at the rafters as though for guidance. “I can do that.” She wandered off, her expression thoughtful.

  “She’s been training for years. You saw that right away,” Lyons observed.

  Maggy beamed with pride at the compliment. Pavel shrugged. Her normally even-tempered mate was in a foul mood.

  “We have a young wolf.” Lyons leaned forward, his voice dropping so Maggy, even with wolf hearing, strained to hear. “He lost a foreleg in a trap.”

  “Is he building strength in his hindquarters?” Pavel scanned the room. Maggy looked also. A handsome young man stood, hovering outside a circle of teens. His right sleeve was pinned together below the elbow.

  “He is trying to compensate with strength building, yes.” Lyons nodded.

  “Good. If he learns to throw his weight back, he’ll free up his good forearm.” Pavel returned to staring into his glass.

  “You could teach him,” the alpha suggested.

  He would be needed. Maggy’s hopes lifted. He might decide to stay. She glanced at the children playing on the carpeted floor. She could have both -- a pack and a mate.

  Pavel cast Lyons a dark look. He set his beer down, the glass ring
ing against the wood, and stood. “It’s been a long day. We should go to bed.” Pavel held out his large palm. “Maggy?”

  Maggy took his hand, a frisson of excitement shimmering over her. They were going to bed but not to sleep. There, she’d seduce him into a good mood.

  “We’ll continue this discussion tomorrow morning.” Lyons stood also.

  Pavel didn’t respond, walking away, taking her with him. “Tomorrow,” Maggy quickly agreed. Had he insulted their host? She looked back over her shoulder. The alpha wolf was grinning.

  “They’re nice, aren’t they?” She hugged Pavel’s left arm between her breasts. Her nipples tightened, the feel of his hard muscles arousing her.

  “Da.” Pavel swung the cabin door open. It was the guest cabin, they were told. If they chose to stay, the pack would help them build their own. Maggy hoped they chose to stay.

  She skipped through the doorway, running her fingers along Pavel’s shirt as she passed. They were wearing too many clothes. Maggy pulled her T-shirt over her head. A giant bed made of solid wood dominated the room. She dropped her jeans. “We could fit three people in this bed.” She swung on the carved bedpost.

  “No one else will touch you, wolf,” Pavel growled, his clothes in a puddle around his feet. He was proudly erect, his cock jutting out toward her. “Tonight, you are mine.”

  “I’m yours forever, mate.” Maggy unclasped her bra, whipping it across the room at him. He caught it, bringing it to his nose to sniff. “Come and claim me.” She hung off the bedpost, her head flung back. She closed her eyes, relying on scent and sound to track his movement toward her.

  Lips pressed against her forehead. His rough chin slid along her nose and his mouth covered hers. He nibbled her top lip. She opened her mouth and their tongues met. He tasted of venison and beer and that distinctive flavor that was all Pavel.

  She loved him. She trusted him. Maggy let herself fall back. He caught her, his hands on her waist, his chest against her back. Her eyes fluttered open. Desire had darkened his silver eye. Emotion colored his normally stoic face. “You love me.”